Guide to sending bulk payments internationally

Opening a new office overseas, or sourcing supplies from multiple countries around the world? You’ll need a reliable, fast and cost-effective way to send international business payments in bulk.

This guide covers everything you need to know about sending bulk international business payments from the UK. This includes how bulk payments work, how to set up and send them, costs and the best providers/accounts to use.

This includes Wise Business, a powerful multi-currency business account which lets you send payments to 140+ worldwide. There’s a handy mass payouts tool so you can send up to 1,000 payments in a few clicks, and you can save even more time by automating global payroll with the Wise API.

💡 Learn more about Wise Business

Why send international payments in bulk?

An increasing number of UK businesses are finding themselves in need of bulk international payment tools. They’re extremely useful for:

• Global payroll - multi-national companies with teams or contractors in various countries need to pay everyone on time, accurately and in their own local currencies.
• Paying international suppliers - businesses sourcing raw materials or finished goods from multiple overseas vendors often settle all their monthly invoices in one batch, to reduce manual admin and transaction fees.
• Settling recurring invoices - large corporations need to settle multiple recurring invoices for services like SaaS (Software as a Service) in each country the service is used in.
• Ecommerce - marketplaces and seller platforms need to collect revenue from global buyers and distribute it to thousands of sellers all over the world, as well as covering affiliate and influencer commissions, and customer refunds.

Many of these situations apply only to large companies and multi-national corporations, but smaller companies often need bulk payment services too.

For example, if you’re a startup which works with freelancers and contractors in different countries - which enables you to pick and choose the best talent, wherever it's based. At the end of the month, you’ll need a cost-effective way to pay everyone in their own currency, and without spending hours setting up each individual payment manually.

How do bulk payments work?

Bulk payments work by consolidating thousands of individual payment instructions into a single digital file. This is usually in one of the following formats:

• CSV
• XLSX
• XML.

Once populated with payment instructions (including recipient bank details, amounts, currencies, payment dates and references), the file is uploaded to a banking portal or specialised payment platform. It’s checked for errors, such as incorrect bank details or mismatched currencies. This process is called validation. All the business owner or finance manager then has to do is give a single authorisation, and the whole batch of payments is sent according to the set schedule.

For international transfers, providers often route these payments through local domestic rails (like SEPA or ACH) rather than the slower SWIFT network that banks use. This usually means faster delivery and lower fees. Once processed, the total amount is debited as one sum from the business account, but recipients receive their specific funds individually.

Can I use my business bank account for sending bulk payments?

Some UK banks do provide services for bulk business payments, such as Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest and Starling Bank. However, you may encounter limits with these services - for example, you can only send up to 25 payments in one batch with Lloyds Business banking.¹

Others come with extra fees. For example, Starling Bank offers bulk payments as an add-on to its business account, available for £7 per month with the ability to send up to 250 payments per month.²

It can sometimes be a little time-consuming or complicated to send bulk payments with a business bank account. This is why many UK businesses use specialist online payment services instead, where the process is easier, quicker and sometimes cheaper - and limits are significantly increased.

We’ll look at some of the best providers for bulk international business payments next.

Best UK accounts for sending bulk international payments

Specialist international transfer platforms are often the best choice for making low cost bulk payments overseas. Here are a few popular options available for UK businesses:

How much do international bulk payments cost?

There are a few different costs involved in sending bulk transfers internationally. This includes:

• The account fee (if any) - these may be monthly, annual or one-off account opening fees
• International transfer fees - an upfront charge for each individual payment
• Currency conversion costs - the provider may add a mark-up to the mid-market exchange rate. This is a kind of ‘hidden’ fee, which makes the transfer more expensive.
• API setup fees - if using the platform’s API to automate payments.

To give you an idea of the potential costs, here’s some handy info on fees and exchange rates for popular UK providers of bulk international business payments:

How to send bulk international payments - step-by-step

Now, here’s how to set up and send your first batch of bulk international payments:

1: Open and verify a business account

Choose a provider which offers international bulk business payments, making sure to compare features and prices. Open an account, provide the necessary company documentation and complete any ID and security verification processes. This can take a few days.

2: Collect supplier, employee or payee information

You’ll need accurate bank details for every beneficiary on your payroll or supplier list. This includes:

• Full name
• Address
• Bank name and address
• Account number
• IBAN (for Europe)
• SWIFT/BIC code.

3. Prepare the batch file

Most providers of bulk payment services have template files you can download and fill in. You’ll need to follow the instructions, making sure to put the correct information in each field.

You’ll need to provide recipient details, payment amounts, currencies and payment dates. You can usually set the amount to ‘Target’ (the exact amount the recipient receives) or ‘Source’ (the exact amount you pay). This is important for overcoming currency fluctuations, where your recipient could end up being underpaid.

4: Upload and validate

Once you’ve checked all the details carefully, it’s time to upload the batch payment file to the provider’s platform.

The system will automatically check for formatting errors, missing fields or invalid account details. If there are any issues, these will need to be rectified before the payment run can be sent.

5: Fund the payment

This step ensures you have enough funds in either your account on the platform or in a linked business account to pay for the total batch.

6: Authorise

You’ll need to review the entire batch to confirm totals, exchange rates and recipient details. Once you’re happy, you can authorise the payments. This usually involves security steps such as in-app approval or an SMS code.

7: Track

The payments are sent, and you’ll be able to track their status in real-time on the provider’s dashboard (depending on the platform).

8. Reconcile

The final step is to export a report on the bulk transfer to your accounting software, to enable reconciliation.

Tips for saving time and money with bulk international payments

Once you’re up and running, batch transfers can be relatively straightforward. However, there are some important things you need to know:

• Look for providers which offer mid-market exchange rates, such as Wise Business. Even a small rate markup can make a huge difference to the overall cost of the batch transfer.
• Pay close attention to exchange rates before sending. Rates change all the time, so may be different between the time you create your batch file and when you send the payments. Make sure to adjust amounts before sending, to ensure that recipients receive the correct amounts.
• Set up approval roles, rules and processes in advance. You need a clear, smooth and efficient approval process, so that batch payments aren’t delayed.
• Validate recipient details carefully. It’s important to have accurate information, or payments can fail or be delayed.
• Save time with API automation. Tools such as the Wise API allow your business to streamline and automate its workflows, including mass payments - for no extra charge. See how it works.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations. If you’ll regularly be sending large sums to a country, it’s crucial to check whether any additional documentation is needed.

Make fast, low-cost global payouts with Wise Business

Whether you need to pay freelancers in Europe, suppliers in Asia or investors in the US, Wise Business is the ideal solution. Open an account and you can use the Payouts tool to pay up to 1,000 recipients in just a few clicks. You can send money to 140+, paying each recipient in their local currency.

With Wise Business, you can:

• 🌍 Send money to 140+ countries at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no sneaky exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
• 📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
• 💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
• 💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
• 🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
• ⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
• 👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
• 💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation
• 🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
• 🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
• 🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
• 📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
• 📈 Earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed. Your money is at risk if governments default or interest rates go negative. Visit https://payout-surge.live/gb/interest/%3C/a%3E to find out more)
• 🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily
• ⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for all your domestic and global needs.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

Register for Wise Business ✍️

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Investments can fluctuate, and your capital is at risk. Interest is offered by Wise Assets UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Wise Payments Ltd. Wise Assets UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority with registration number 839689. When facilitating access to Wise investment products, Wise Payments Ltd acts as an Introducer Appointed Representative of Wise Assets UK Ltd. Please be aware that we do not offer investment advice, and you may be liable for taxes on any earnings. If you're uncertain, we urge you to seek professional advice. To find out more about the Funds, visit our website.

FAQs

How long does it take for a bulk international payment to arrive?

How long international payments take depends on the provider and the destination. SEPA payments (in EUR to the EEA) typically take 1 day, whereas SWIFT payments can take up to 5 days. Validating and processing bulk payments can also add extra time.

What information do I need from recipients for a bulk transfer?

You’ll typically need:

• Full name
• Address
• Bank name and address
• Account number
• IBAN (for Europe)
• SWIFT/BIC code.

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sources used:

1. Lloyds - Bulk Payments
2. Starling Bank - Bulk Payments
3. Airwallex - Transfers
4. Airwallex - Pricing
5. Revolut - Business Account Pricing
6. PayPal Developer - Payouts Web
7. PayPal - PayPal Payouts
8. WorldFirst - Your international business payment partner
9. Airwallex - Fee Schedule
10. Revolut - Business Fees – All Plans (Current)
11. PayPal - PayPal Merchant Fees
12. WorldFirst - Pricing

Sources last checked: 27-Apr-2026